“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of

God”1 Corinthians 2:5

Evidence for God’s Existence Design Demands a Designer

(The Teleological Argument)• The wisdom and intelligence of God are

seen in His creation (Psalms 104:24; 136:5; Proverbs 3:19). – God’s creative skill is like that of a “master

craftsman” (Proverbs 8:22-31). – The existence of a watch requires the

existence and skill of a watch-maker– The existence of the world declares that God

exists and that He is a skillful designer and builder.

Evidence from Design The Earth• The distance between

sun and earth is 93 million miles. 10% variation in either direction would make life on earth impossible.

• The earth rotates on its axis at a speed of 1,000 mph. Faster rotation would cause devastating cyclones; slower rotation would result in overheating and overcooling during long periods of day and night.

Evidence from Design The Earth• The earth’s distance from the

moon creates tides of the proper magnitude for the health of the oceans and the shorelines, without frequent inshore flooding.

• The tilt of the earth on its axis at 23 degrees accounts for the seasons that are vital to life (Gen. 8:22).

• The earth’s surface is 72% water which moderates temperatures worldwide. Through photosynthesis, microscopic plants in the seas supply about 90% of the earth’s oxygen.

Evidence from Design

The Human Body• “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and

wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14)– The human body is a tremendous feat of

Divine engineering. – In our current study, we will consider only a

small fraction of this evidence.

Evidence from Design The Human Body• The function and complexity of cells in

the human body. – The body is composed of over 250 different

kinds of cells totaling about 100 trillion cells in a typical adult.

• Each system of the human body has its own amazing design. – The respiratory, cardio-vascular, nervous,

digestive, lymphatic, endocrine, muscular/skeletal, urinary and reproductive systems of the body could not have developed by chance

Evidence from DesignConsider the brain & central nervous system o Composed of over 10 trillion different cells. o These cells send electrical impulses at a rate of 273

miles per hour o Nerve cells in the body send 2,000 impulses to the brain

every second. o These impulses come from 130,000 light receptors in the

eye, 100,000 hearing receptors in the ears, 3,000 taste buds, and over 500,000 touch spots

o The brain produces more than 50 drugs, ranging from painkillers (like endorphin) to antidepressant drugs (like serotonin).

o The brain allows you to remember words, smells, pictures, and colors.

o It has been estimated that it would require 500 sets of encyclopedias to hold the information found in the brain.” (Kyle Butt, Apologeticspress.org)

Evidence from DesignPlant and Animal Biology FORM follows FUNCTION

The parts of animals and plants are obviously designed to do what they do!

Consider the design in different birds: bills, feathers, bones and claws are all engineered for specific functions.

Or look at the dental patterns and digestive systems of herbivores versus carnivores and see how each is designed to accommodate the diet of the particular species.

Form Follows Function

Form Follows Function

The images to the left are faces and upper teeth of bats that eat insects (top), fruit (bottom) and a combination of fruit and insects (middle). The image below is a vampire bat.

Form Follows Function

Form Follows Function

Form Follows Function

Form Follows Function

Evidence from DesignPlant and Animal Biology Animal Instincts and Migration Patterns• Monarch butterflies are born in the northern

United States, and then migrate up to 3000 miles to spend the winter in Mexico. What is amazing about this migration is that butterflies never meet their parents, but they are able to fly to the same place in Mexico where their parents or grandparents wintered a year earlier.

• Monarch butterflies have been known to fly more than 375 miles over water non-stop in 16 hours. Their trip takes them eight to ten weeks.

Monarch Migration Patterns

Evidence from DesignPlant and Animal Biology Dependent Symbiotic Relationships

Many living things rely on one another. Some are dependent on other species for their very existence. Examples include the yucca plant and yucca moth, termites and their intestinal flagellates, clownfish and anemones, and corals and zooxanthallae. The mutual dependency of these and thousands of other species can hardly be explained by evolutionary chance

Symbiotic Relationships: Cape Buffalo & Oxpecker Bird

Yucca Plant & Moth• The Yucca

Plant is only pollinated by the Yucca Moth

Termites & FlagellatesAlthough termites can physically chew and ingest wood, they are incapable of chemically digesting cellulose into sugars. They rely on intestinal flagellates, e.g. Pyrrsonympha spp. and Trichonympha spp. which are capable of producing cellulose. These genera of flagellates reside in the hindgut of termites and provide nutrition for them. They are not found anywhere else in nature.

Clownfish & Anemones

• An anemone provides slow swimming clownfish with protection. Clownfish bring food to the anemone.

Coral & Zooxanthallae